Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Real Madrid all-time team

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Real Madrid. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League. Real Madrid is the most successful club in soccer's history. They have won more titles in Europe than any other clubs. Led by President Santiago Bernabeu, the club began to dominate European football during the 1950's. They won five straight European Cup between 1956 and 1960. The team that beat Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960 was widely considered to be greatest club in history. At the time of writing, they won a record of 12 European Cups/Champions' league titles. They won a record 6 European Cups, and after the European Champions League became the Champions' League, they won 5 more, also a record for the competition.

2001 Champions' League

The TeamGK: Ricardo Zamora (Spain)The first ever star goalkeeper in history. He is also remembered for a spectacular last minute save he made in the 1936 Copa de España final while playing for Real Madrid against FC Barcelona. The award for the best goalkeeper in La Liga, the Ricardo Zamora Trophy, is named in his honour and he was voted one of the greatest players of the 20th century by World Soccer magazine. He was also Spain's most capped player for 45 years.GK: Iker Casillas(Spain)Iker Casillas is Spain's most decorated goalkeeper. He won three Champions' League with Real Madrid. For Spain, he captained Spain into winning the WC in 2010 and two European Championships in 2008 and 2012. He is capped over 150 times.

Casillas and the 2015 Champions' League

GK: Franisco Buyo(Spain)Buyo at the time of his retirement was the third highest in La Liga appearance record. he spent over a decade with Real madrid, winning 13 titles with them. He earned 7 caps.

CB/RB: Sergio Ramos(Spain)Part of the all-conquering Spanish team that won the WC and two European Championships. He is the youngest player ever to receive his 100th caps. He joined Real Madrid as a teenager. He scored the tying goal as Real Madrid won their 10th European Cup in 2014. He also won his second Champions' League title by scoring a goal in the 2016 Final. In 2017, he won his third Champions League Cup.

Sergio Ramos

RB: Chendo(Spain)Chendo was a product of Real Madrid academy. He played his entire career with Real Madrid. He was a part of the team that won back-to-back UEFA Cup titles in the mid-1980's. He retired after the 1998 European Champions' League Final. He represented Spain at both WC Finals in 1986 and 1990.CB: Jose Santamaria (Uruguay)Jose Santamaria was a member of Real Madrid's all-conquering team of the late 1950's. He spent his 18-year career with Nacional and Real Madrid, winning 17 major titles the two teams combined, including four European Cups with the latter. He was considered one of the best ever center-backs.CB: Fernando Hierro(Spain)At one point, he was Spain's all-time leading scorer and he was a center-back. He was capped 90 times, whilst appearing in four World Cups and two European Championships. For Real Madrid, he won three Champions' League titles. He is considered to be Spain's greatest defenders.

Fernando Hierro

CB: Manuel Sanchis Hontiyuelo(Spain)Son of Manuel Sanchez Martinez, he was was a member of the legendary Quinta del Buitre of Real Madrid. He spent his entire career with Real Madrid and played over 700 matches. He won back-to-back UEFA in the mid-1980's, and then, two Champions' league title at the end of his career. For Spain, he was capped 48 times.CB: Jacinto Quincoces(Spain)One of the greatest defenders of the pre-war era. He won the first ever title for Real Madrid in 1930. Widely considered one of the first soccer idols in Spain. He played 25 times for Spain and went to the WC Finals in 1934.

Jacintio Quincoces

LB: Jose Antonio Camacho(Spain)Camacho is widely considered to be Spain's greatest leftback. He played at the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups, as well as the Euro 1984 and 1988. Spain reached the Final in 1984. He was with the great Real Madrid side of the 1980's. He won 19 titles with Real Madrid, including two UEFA Cups.LB:Roberto Carlos (Brazil)He was regarded one of the best leftbacks in history. He had 125 caps for Brazil playing in three WC Finals. He won 3 Champions League titles with Real Madrid and one WC title with Brazil in 2002. In 1997 he was runner-up in the FIFA World Player of the Year. He is especially famous for a free kick from 35m out against France in the Tournoi de France 1997. The goal is considered one of the greatest goals ever scored.

Roberto Carlos

CM: Fernando Redondo (Argentina)Fernando Redondoplayed his first game in the Primera División at only 16 for Argentinos Juniors, and remained five years with the team before moving abroad to CD Tenerife in Spain. He joined Real Madrid in 1994, where he would become one of the best central midfielders in Real Madrid's history. He won two Champions' League with them. For the national team, he only picked up 29 caps because he had issues with various managers.

Fernando Redondo

CM: Miguel Munoz(Spain)He was the captain of Real Madrid's first two European Cup winning sides in 1956 and 1957. He became the coach of the side in 1959. He won two more European Cup as the coach.DM: Jose Pirri(Spain)He is regarded as one of Spain's greatest player. He played in two WC Finals. He played for Real Madrid for 15 years, between 1964 and 1979, winning ten Spanish league titles, four Spanish cups, and the 1966 European Cup. He was a member of the Real Madrid team that was known as the Yé-Yé team.

Jose Pirri

RW/FW: Amancio Amaro(Spain)Nicknamed "El Brujo". He played outside right for Deportivo de La Coruña before joining Real Madrid in 1962. He was considered the star of the team in the 1960's. He scored one of the most beautiful goal in European Cup history when Real Madrid lifted the title in 1966.He was capped 42 times. He won the 1964 European Football Championship. AM/RW: Raymond Kopa (France)He was considered to be "Les Bleus"'s greatest player before the emerge of Platini. He won the the European Footballer of the Year in 1958 and three European Cups with Real Madrid in the 1950's. He also played with Stade de Reims before joining the legendary Real Madrid team of the 1950's. LW: Francisco Gento(Spain)He is regarded as one of the greatest left wings in history. Gento began his career at Racing Santander in 1952 and moved to Real Madrid the following season. He appeared in a joint record eight European Cup finals, winning a record six, as well as winning 12 La Liga titles. In a 14-year international career, Gento earned 43 caps for Spain, playing at the World Cup in 1962 and 1966.AM: Zinedine Zidane (France)Hewas named the best European footballer of the past 50 years in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, and has been described as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He won the FIFA World Player of the Year award three times. He led France to victory at the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. With Real Madrid, he also won the Champions League in 2002, where he scored one of the greatest goals in history at the Final.

Zinedine Zidane

ST: Carlos Santillana(Spain)Santillana moved to Real Madrid in 1971 as a heir apparent to Puskus. He played over 450 matches for Real Madrid. He won back-to-back UEFA Cup in the mid-1980's.ST: Emilio Butragueño(Spain)Nicknamed El Buitre (The Vulture), he was a member of the legendary Quinta del Buitre of Real Madrid, along with Manolo Sanchís, Rafael Martín Vázquez, Míchel and Miguel Pardeza. That team won 5 straight La Liga and two UEFA Cups from 1985 to 1990.He went to the WC Finals in 1986 and 1990. He scored 4 goals against the great Danish side in 1986 quarter-final.

Emilio Butragueño

CM/AM/FW: Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina)The best player in the world before the emerge of Pele and Maradona. He was one of the younger member of the great River Plate in the 1940's. In 1949, he moved to play in Colombia before moving to Europe in 1953. He won 5 straight European Cups with Real Madrid. He was credited in turning Real Madrid into a legendary club. His international career was limited to the fact that Argentina did not select overseas players. He played for Argentina, Colombia and Spain.

Alfredo Di Stefano

ST/FW: Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)He was one of the greatest footballers in history. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and led his nation to the final of the 1954 World Cup where he was named the tournament's best player. He played with Honved at home and went to Real Madrid after the Soviet invasion. With Alfredo Di Stefano, Raymond Kapo, etc, Real Maadrid became the greatest club team in history.

Di Stefano and Puskas

ST: Raul(Spain)He was probably the best Spanish player in the late 1990's. Raul made his debut with Real Madrid as a 17 years old. He won 3 Champions' League trophies with Real Madrid in 1998, 2000 and 2002. He moved to Germany in 2010 and played with Schalke 04 He is the fourth highest goal scorer in the history of La Liga with 228 goals. For the national team, he earned 102 caps.

Raul

ST: Hugo Sanchez (Mexico)He was considered to be the best Mexican player of all-time. He is remembered for his career in Spain where he played for both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. He won 5 straight Pichichi title in Spain. With Real Madrid, he won five consecutive league titles (from 1985-86 to 1989-90), the Copa del Rey in 1989, and the UEFA Cup in 1986. The team was the dominant team in Spain during the 1980's.

FW/LW: Cristano Ronaldo (Portugal)He is one of the greatest forward of his generation. He is the most expensive players in history from 2009-2013 when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid. At the time of writing, he won the Ballon d'Or winner three times and won Champions' League titles with both Manchester United and Real Madrid. In 2016, he helped Portugal to win the European Championship, a month after winning the Champions' League with Real Madrid.

Ricardo Zamora and Iker Casillas are considered among the greatest keepers ever played in history. The battle was between Juan Alonso and Buyo for the third spot. I took Buyo because he had contributed more although Juan Alonso had won more important titles.

At the time of writing, Marcelo is entering his 12th season, the longest for a foreign player in the club's history. At the time of writing, he has won three Champions' League as a key player. He deserves to be on the team. However, I still keep the two old-timers, Roberto Carlos and Camacho. Let's see what he can do in the next few years. At 29, he still has more trophies to be won.

Miguel Munoz and Manuel Sanchis Jr were chosen because of their importance and services to the club. Manuel Sanchis Sr missed out. Munoz was the captain for the first ever European Cup.

Manuel Sanchis Jr is of Royal blond. He is a home grown player who played his entire career with the club. He is also a connection between La Quinta del Buitre and Raul's Real Madrid. He is the ultimate "Madridista".

I
rated Dani Carvajal very high, but he is still young at the time of
writing. He has already won three Champions' League titles as a key
player. He is also from Castilla. He would become a part of the team in
the future.

Sergio Ramos has scored plenty of important goals for the club. He can play two different positions. I prefer to select him as a centerback, but spaces are limited in that position.

Marquitos was a rightback.

Pepe does not appear in many Real Madrid all-time list, but his performance in the last few seasons and his long service to club earned him a place in the honorable mention. However, it will be hard for him to break into the all-time team. The four centerbacks I have chosen were too good.

Amancio Amaro's goal won the 1966 European Cup. He was the hero of 1966. I took him ahead of Luis Figo, Michael Laudrup and Michel.

Josep Samiter played most of his career for Barcelona FC. Luis Figo, at least, spent more time here. Thus, he made the honourable mention.

Ronaldo (Brazil) did not win much here.

Didi was not successful with the club and he was never considered.

Formation

-- Sergio Ramos is a better centerback than rightback, but he won't start ahead of Hierro or Santamaria. So I put him at rightback.

-- Raul is not a centre forward so I put on the right side as a secondary striker or forward. This is the only way where I can play both Raul and Cristano Ronaldo.